(a) A statutory limitation on the liability of an interest holder of a domestic entity for a debt, obligation or other liability of such domestic entity, including without limitation, the limitation set forth in section 33-673 or 34-251a, may not be disregarded based upon a veil piercing doctrine, claim or remedy in connection with a transaction to which the entity is a party, unless a court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that: (1) The interest holder exerted complete domination and control over the management, finances, policies and activities of such entity with respect to such transaction; (2) such domination and control was used by the interest holder to (A) commit fraud or other intentional wrong against the person asserting such doctrine, claim or remedy, (B) intentionally violate a statutory or common law duty to such person, or (C) commit a deceitful or other unlawful act against such person; and (3) the domination and control exerted by the interest holder and the breach of duty or other act proximately caused injury or loss to the person asserting such doctrine, claim or remedy.
(b) In making a determination under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section, a court shall consider factors that include, but are not limited to, whether: (1) The entity was adequately capitalized, (2) assets of the entity were distributed or otherwise transferred from the entity to the interest holder or any affiliate of such interest holder without any lawful business purpose, (3) there were overlapping interest holders, governors or other management personnel between the entity and the interest holder or any affiliate of such interest holder, (4) the interest holder or any affiliate of such interest holder shared office spaces, addresses and telephone numbers with the entity without payment of fair consideration, (5) transactions involving the entity and the interest holder or any affiliate of such interest holder were at arm's length and for fair consideration, (6) funds of the entity were commingled with funds of the interest holder or any affiliate of such interest holder, (7) the entity was treated as a separate legal entity for financial and other business purposes as evidenced by having its own contractual relationships, bank accounts, books of account and financial statements, (8) the entity was insolvent or rendered insolvent by the acts of the interest holder or any affiliate of such interest holder, and (9) the property of the entity was used by the interest holder or any affiliate of such interest holder without payment of fair consideration.
(c) The burden of proof shall be on the person seeking to hold the interest holder of a domestic entity responsible for the debts, obligations or other liabilities of such entity.
(d) The failure of a domestic entity to observe formalities relating to the exercise of its powers or the management of its activities and affairs is not grounds for imposing personal liability on an interest holder of such entity for a debt, obligation or other liability of such entity based upon a veil piercing doctrine, claim or remedy.
(e) When determining whether a statutory limitation on the liability of an interest holder of a domestic entity for a debt, obligation or other liability of such domestic entity, including without limitation, the limitation set forth in section 33-673 or 34-251a, may be disregarded based upon a veil piercing doctrine, claim or remedy, a court shall make such determination exclusively in accordance with the provisions of this section and section 33-673a.
(P.A. 19-181, S. 2; P.A. 21-40, S. 39.)
History: P.A. 19-181 effective July 9, 2019, and applicable to any civil action filed on or after July 9, 2019; P.A. 21-40 made a technical change in Subsec. (e).
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 601 - Business Corporations
Section 33-600. - Short title: Connecticut Business Corporation Act.
Section 33-601. - Construction of statutes.
Section 33-602. - Definitions.
Section 33-603. - Notices and other communications.
Section 33-603a. - Householding.
Section 33-604. - Number of shareholders.
Section 33-605. - Qualified director.
Section 33-606. - Defective corporate actions. Definitions.
Section 33-606a. - Defective corporate action not void or voidable, when.
Section 33-606b. - Ratification of defective corporate actions.
Section 33-606c. - Action on ratification.
Section 33-606d. - Notice requirements re action on ratification.
Section 33-606e. - Effect of ratification.
Section 33-606g. - Judicial proceeding re validity of corporate action.
Section 33-608. - Filing requirements.
Section 33-609. - Forms. Mailing address.
Section 33-610. - Effective time and date of document.
Section 33-611. - Correcting filed document.
Section 33-612. - Filing duty of Secretary of the State.
Section 33-613. - Appeal from Secretary of the State's refusal to file document.
Section 33-614. - Evidentiary effect of copy of filed document.
Section 33-615. - Certificate of existence or authorization.
Section 33-616. - Penalty for signing false document.
Section 33-617. - Fees payable to Secretary of the State.
Section 33-618. - Franchise tax.
Section 33-622. - Powers of Secretary of the State.
Section 33-623. - Regulations regarding electronic filing.
Section 33-624. - Interrogatories by Secretary of the State.
Section 33-635. - Incorporators.
Section 33-636. - Certificate of incorporation.
Section 33-637. - Incorporation.
Section 33-638. - Liability for preincorporation transactions.
Section 33-639. - Organization of corporation.
Section 33-641. - Emergency bylaws.
Section 33-646. - Authorization to form corporation to transact insurance business.
Section 33-647. - General powers.
Section 33-648. - Emergency powers.
Section 33-649. - Ultra vires.
Section 33-655. - Corporate name.
Section 33-656. - Reserved name.
Section 33-657. - Registered name.
Section 33-660. - Registered office and registered agent.
Section 33-661. - Change of registered office or registered agent.
Section 33-662. - Resignation of registered agent.
Section 33-663. - Service of process on corporation.
Section 33-665. - Authorized shares.
Section 33-666. - Terms of class or series of shares.
Section 33-667. - Issued and outstanding shares.
Section 33-668. - Fractional shares.
Section 33-671. - Subscription for shares before incorporation.
Section 33-672. - Issuance of shares.
Section 33-673. - Liability of shareholders.
Section 33-673a. - Definitions.
Section 33-674. - Share dividends.
Section 33-675. - Share options and other equity compensation awards.
Section 33-676. - Form and content of certificates.
Section 33-677. - Shares without certificates.
Section 33-678. - Restriction on transfer of shares and other securities.
Section 33-679. - Expense of issue.
Section 33-680. - Surrender of share certificates.
Section 33-683. - Shareholder's preemptive rights.
Section 33-684. - Corporation's acquisition of its own shares.
Section 33-687. - Distributions to shareholders.
Section 33-695. - Annual meeting.
Section 33-696. - Special meeting.
Section 33-697. - Court-ordered meeting.
Section 33-698. - Action without meeting.
Section 33-699. - Notice of meeting.
Section 33-700. - Waiver of notice.
Section 33-701. - Record date.
Section 33-702. - Chairperson to preside.
Section 33-703. - Remote participation in annual and special meetings.
Section 33-704. - Shareholders' list for meeting.
Section 33-705. - Voting entitlement of shares.
Section 33-707. - Shares held by nominees.
Section 33-708. - Corporation's acceptance or rejection of votes.
Section 33-709. - Quorum and voting requirements for voting groups.
Section 33-710. - Action by single and multiple voting groups.
Section 33-711. - Greater quorum or voting requirement.
Section 33-712. - Voting for directors. Cumulative voting.
Section 33-715. - Voting trust.
Section 33-716. - Voting agreement.
Section 33-717. - Shareholder agreement.
Section 33-720. - Derivative proceedings. Definitions.
Section 33-723. - Stay of proceedings.
Section 33-725. - Discontinuance or settlement.
Section 33-726. - Payment of expenses.
Section 33-727. - Applicability to foreign corporations.
Section 33-735. - Requirements for and duties of board of directors.
Section 33-736. - Qualifications for directors or nominees for directors.
Section 33-737. - Number and election of directors.
Section 33-738. - Election of directors by certain classes of shareholders.
Section 33-739. - Terms of directors generally.
Section 33-740. - Staggered terms for directors.
Section 33-741. - Resignation of directors.
Section 33-742. - Removal of directors by shareholders.
Section 33-743. - Removal of directors by judicial proceeding.
Section 33-744. - Vacancy on board of directors.
Section 33-745. - Compensation of directors.
Section 33-749. - Action without meeting.
Section 33-750. - Notice of meeting.
Section 33-751. - Waiver of notice.
Section 33-752. - Quorum and voting.
Section 33-754. - Submission of matters for shareholder vote.
Section 33-756. - General standards of conduct for directors.
Section 33-757. - Liability for unlawful distribution.
Section 33-758. - General standards of liability for directors.
Section 33-764. - Functions of officers.
Section 33-765. - Standards of conduct for officers.
Section 33-766. - Resignation and removal of officers.
Section 33-767. - Contract rights of officers.
Section 33-770. - Definitions.
Section 33-771. - Permissible indemnification.
Section 33-772. - Mandatory indemnification.
Section 33-773. - Advance for expenses.
Section 33-774. - Court-ordered indemnification and advance for expenses.
Section 33-775. - Determination and authorization of indemnification.
Section 33-778. - Variation by corporate action.
Section 33-779. - Exclusivity of provisions.
Section 33-781. - Definitions.
Section 33-782. - Judicial action.
Section 33-783. - Directors' action.
Section 33-784. - Shareholders' action.
Section 33-785. - Taking advantage of a business opportunity.
Section 33-795. - Authority to amend.
Section 33-796. - Amendment by board of directors.
Section 33-797. - Amendment by board of directors and shareholders.
Section 33-798. - Voting on amendments by voting groups.
Section 33-799. - Amendment before issuance of shares.
Section 33-800. - Certificate of amendment.
Section 33-801. - Restated certificate of incorporation.
Section 33-802. - Amendment pursuant to reorganization.
Section 33-803. - Effect of amendment.
Section 33-806. - Amendment by shareholders or board of directors.
Section 33-807. - Bylaw increasing quorum or voting requirement for shareholders.
Section 33-808. - Bylaw increasing quorum or voting requirement for directors.
Section 33-809. - Bylaw provisions relating to the election of directors.
Section 33-814. - Definitions.
Section 33-816. - Share exchange.
Section 33-817. - Action on plan of merger or share exchange.
Section 33-818. - Merger of subsidiary.
Section 33-819. - Certificate of merger or share exchange.
Section 33-820. - Effect of merger or share exchange.
Section 33-821. - Merger or share exchange with foreign corporation.
Section 33-821a. - Abandoned merger or share exchange.
Section 33-840. - Business combinations. Definitions.
Section 33-841. - Approval of business combination.
Section 33-843. - Business combinations. Definitions.
Section 33-845. - Excepted business combinations.
Section 33-855. - Definitions.
Section 33-856. - Right to appraisal.
Section 33-857. - Assertion of rights by nominees and beneficial owners.
Section 33-860. - Notice of appraisal rights.
Section 33-861. - Notice of intent to demand payment. Consequences of voting or consenting.
Section 33-862. - Appraisal notice and form.
Section 33-863. - Perfection of rights. Right to withdraw.
Section 33-864. - Share restrictions.
Section 33-866. - Failure to take action.
Section 33-867. - After-acquired shares.
Section 33-868. - Procedure if shareholder dissatisfied with payment or offer.
Section 33-871. - Court action.
Section 33-872. - Court costs and expenses.
Section 33-880. - Dissolution by incorporators or initial directors.
Section 33-881. - Dissolution by board of directors and shareholders.
Section 33-882. - Certificate of dissolution.
Section 33-883. - Revocation of dissolution.
Section 33-884. - Effect of dissolution.
Section 33-885. - Requirements prior to final liquidating distribution of assets.
Section 33-886. - Known claims against dissolved corporation.
Section 33-887. - Unknown claims against dissolved corporation.
Section 33-887b. - Duties of directors of dissolved corporation.
Section 33-890. - Administrative dissolution.
Section 33-891. - Effect of administrative dissolution.
Section 33-892. - Reinstatement following administrative dissolution.
Section 33-893. - Appeal from refusal of reinstatement.
Section 33-896. - Grounds for judicial dissolution.
Section 33-897. - Procedure for judicial dissolution.
Section 33-898. - Receivership or custodianship.
Section 33-899. - Decree of dissolution.
Section 33-900. - Election to purchase in lieu of dissolution.
Section 33-903. - Deposit of assets with State Treasurer or other state official.
Section 33-910. - Provisions applicable to specially chartered corporations.
Section 33-911. - Formation of specially chartered corporation.
Section 33-912. - Amendment of special charter.
Section 33-913. - Surrender of charter and reincorporation.
Section 33-914. - Franchise tax.
Section 33-920. - Authority to transact business required.
Section 33-921. - Consequences of transacting business without authority.
Section 33-921a. - Limited amnesty for foreign corporation transacting business without authority.
Section 33-922. - Application for certificate of authority.
Section 33-923. - Amended certificate of authority.
Section 33-924. - Effect of certificate of authority.
Section 33-925. - Corporate name of foreign corporation.
Section 33-926. - Registered office and registered agent of foreign corporation.
Section 33-927. - Change of registered office or registered agent of foreign corporation.
Section 33-928. - Resignation of registered agent of foreign corporation.
Section 33-929. - Service of process on foreign corporation.
Section 33-932. - Withdrawal of foreign corporation.
Section 33-935. - Grounds for revocation.
Section 33-936. - Procedure for and effect of revocation.
Section 33-937. - Appeal from revocation.
Section 33-945. - Corporate records.
Section 33-946. - Inspection of records by shareholders.
Section 33-947. - Scope of inspection right.
Section 33-948. - Court-ordered inspection.
Section 33-949. - Inspection of records by directors.
Section 33-950. - Exception to notice requirement.
Section 33-951. - Financial statements for shareholders.
Section 33-952. - Other reports to shareholders.
Section 33-954. - Failure to file report. Incorrect report.
Section 33-955. - Interim notice of change of director or officer.
Section 33-995. - Applicability to domestic corporations in existence on January 1, 1997.
Section 33-996. - Applicability to qualified foreign corporations.
Section 33-997. - Saving provisions.